This week on the Lifehacker podcast we're comparing Google Drive to Dropbox, looking at the cost of renting Adobe software, and finding out what happens when you throw your privacy out the window. We've also got tips on learning to type better, finding free music, installing Windows on a Mac, and more. Plus a bunch of downloads and the biggest pile of Grid-Its you've ever seen.

How to Watch or Listen to This Week's Episode

You can watch the episode by clicking the play button above, but there are plenty of other ways to get it:

News and Discussion

Last week brought a lot of news, from the launch of Google Drive and Adobe CS6 to the next version of Ubuntu and Apple's plans for their Worldwide Developer's Conference. Thorin also came in to report what happened to him when he threw out his privacy and lived in public for a few weeks.

1:09 Google DriveGoogle Drive finally saw a release, and while it stacks up to Dropbox pretty well in some ways we found that it still has some room to grow. Whitson is pessimistic about its future, but hopefully it'll improve a bit and provide some good competition—not that Dropbox isn't doing a great job without the push from a big competitor. The primary thing Google Drive has over Dropbox (and most other cloud-syncing file service) is price. Check out this cost comparison for the details.

6:23 Adobe CS6 / Creative CloudAdobe announced and detailed Creative Suite 6, it's latest suite of apps including the big guys like Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Flash, and Premiere. Additionally, it announced a service to rent these apps for a monthly fee (of anywhere between $20-50). Is it cheaper or better to rent? In most cases, we found the answer to be no, but you can find the full comparison here and decide for yourself.

10:04 Ubuntu Update
Ubuntu's latest update, Precise Pangolin, is a great new update that brings a few cool new features. Whitson's favorite is the HUD (Heads Up Display), which makes finding menu items super easy.

11:40 Apple's WWDC Coming in June
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference is coming this June from the 11th through the 15th. Tickets sold out in two hours, breaking last year's sell out record of twelve hours. Considering how expensive the conference is (in the thousands), that's pretty crazy. The WWDC is of note this year for us because we'll be seeing more of the next version of OS X and iOS. Additionally, Apple's rumored to update its Mac hardware line pretty significantly. If you're thinking of buying Apple hardware in the near future, you might want to wait for the WWDC to come and pass.

12:50 Abandoning Privacy and Living in Public
Privacy is one of those rights we have that is slowly going out the window. To see how awful it would be to live in public, Thorin decided to abandon his privacy and allow people to track his every move. He found many consequences, but a couple of advantages here and there as well. To read about the entire experience—which is pretty fascinating and provides some good tips on how to handle your own privacy—check out his post.

Questions and Answers

Each week we answer five questions from readers and listeners. Here's what we tackled this week.

19:13 How can I learn to type properly?
Apparently we all learned using goofy child-friendly typing programs, and Thorin and I both had options that were death-themed. Strange. Anyway, there are tons of online resources that can help you learn to type better. Keybr is one of them, and Lifehacker readers have offered up many more.

21:15 Where can I find free music that I can use for YouTube videos or in podcasts?
Lots of places! Try these:

Ask musicians you find online, such as those at Songfight and OCRemix. They will often be happy to let you use their music.

24:17 How do I install Windows on my Mac without OS X?
If you're looking to run Windows and OS X, follow our triple boot guide and just ignore the Linux section. This listener/viewer is asking how to just boot Windows on a Mac, however, as he likes the Mac hardware but prefers Windows. He also only has a 64GB SSD so he doesn't want to use up the space with an operating system he doesn't need. If you're in the same boat, you can just install Windows on your Mac by formatting the drive to NTFS and booting the Windows installer. It should work just like any other PC.

Apple has streamlined the process of dual booting Windows on your Mac, but when it comes to Linux,…
Read more Read more

27:02 Is there something like Windows snap for OS X?
Yes! And it's called Hyperdock. Or Divvy, Cinch, Shiftit, or BetterTouchTool. Hyperdock is Whitson's pick, but it costs money and all of these apps will get the job done with slightly varying additional features.

Show and Tell

This week we're looking at an old favorite—the Grid-It. It's a great organization tool that Whitson and I have been using for awhile now. Collectively we have five different Grid-Its and four distinct varieties. The idea is basically this: it's a board with a bunch of gridded elastic bands that you can use to organize all the small things you keep in your bag so they don't go flying everywhere and constantly get lost. You can get Grid-Its in various sizes that come on their own, in sleeves, with tablet or laptop cases, and much more. It's a very versatile line and works with everything from gadgets to art supplies to cosmetics to whatever else you might have in your bag. Check 'em out.

Downloads of the Week

Each week we talk about our favorite downloads. Here are our picks for this week.

33:06 Gmelius (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)
Gmelius is a really awesome browser extension that enhances Gmails interface in tons of great ways. You can strip out unwanted stuff, remove ads, toggle the Google bar, and a lot more. Check it out. It can make Gmail better in just a few clicks.

35:28 Bluetooth Screen Lock (OS X)
It's sometimes easy to forget to remember to lock you Mac's screen when you walk away. If you're looking for a simple automatic solution, Bluetooth Screen Lock is a utility that automatically locks your screen when you walk away with a paired Bluetooth device.

36:10 Google Drive (Android)
Although we talked a lot about Google Drive at the start of the podcast, it's worth noting that the Google Drive Android app is readily available for use and you probably already have it. If you've downloaded Google Docs for your Android in the past, just run an update. It'll become the Google Drive app automatically.

36:47 Qouch (iOS)
If you're a Usenet, SABnzbd+, Sick Beard, and Couch Potato user, you need to check out this app. For $3, it manages all these handy Usenet-friendly tools directly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

37:51 Make Your Mac's Dashboard Actually Useful
In a previous episode of the podcast, a listener/viewer asked us how to actually make the OS X dashboard useful. We didn't have a great answer at the time, but Thorin put this post together which provides a smart look at how to put it to good use. He thinks the best option is to use it as a productivity-centric extra screen.

Please keep your questions as brief as possible. This means about 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions can be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they'll apply to more people. For example, "how can I breathe new life into my old PDA?" is much better than "what can I do with an old HP iPAQ 210?" Either way, we look forward to hearing from you!